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MAD tank
The ''M''utually ''A''ssured ''D''estruction (MAD) tank was a suicide tank fielded by the Soviet forces in Aftermath. Background As the war dragged on, Soviet generals found themselves in an increasingly dire situation. American commitment to the Allied cause resulted in a huge deployment of Allied ground forces, negating the Soviets' significant armor and defensive advantages. The catastrophic failure of the Super tank project also contributed to the Soviets losing faith in the armour technology that once formed the backbone of their armies. Soviet strategists also noted that, while brimming with specialist skills, the Allied infantry ranks were somewhat lacking in anti-infantry capability. As a result, all the remaining resources left over from the super tank project were quickly diverted to a new project designed to force the Allies to turn to an infantry vs. infantry engagement. The end result was the MAD Tank. It uses a radial seismic blast to deal significant damage to surrounding structures and vehicles. The powerful seismic waves have a large area of effect, but will indiscriminately damage all nearby targets, regardless of allegiance, thus rendering it virtually useless as a defensive weapon. Infantry, however, are immune to the effects of the weapon and take no damage at all at any range from the blast. The tank begins its attack by starting a large piston mounted on its back that gradually builds speed as the weapon nears detonation. The single crew member bails out and attempts to remove himself from the area. Once the charging sequence is complete, the tank unleashes its powerful seismic waves in all directions, shattering nearby buildings and vehicles and destroying itself in the process; thus the tank is actually a single-shot disposable weapon, albeit on a much larger scale than other such weapons. The MAD tank apparently died with the Soviet Union as it was not seen again after the war. In-game The MAD tank is built on the chassis of a Mammoth tank, perhaps highlighting the limited resources available to late-war Soviet production. Once it has begun charging its seismic blast, the process cannot be interrupted. The only way to stop activation of the weapon is to destroy the vehicle before it can fully charge; fortunately, the MAD tank's armour is significantly lower than that of the Mammoth tank on which it is based, making it markedly easier to destroy. It should also be noted that MAD tanks cannot detonate while under the effects of the Iron Curtain, a fact that can be exploited by an enemy Soviet commander. The effects of the explosion do not vary: any vehicles, ships, and aircraft (even flying aircraft - probably due to engine limitations) in a large area around the MAD Tank (approximately the same area as a nuclear blast, a 10-tile radius) take damage equivalent to 45% of their maximum hitpoints, while structures in the same area take 40% damage. As a result, provided no time for significant repairs between detonations, just three MAD Tanks can destroy absolutely any non-infantry unit or structure outright. As they can crush infantry anyway, these are rather dangerous vehicles. Assessment Pros *Effective against enemy vehicles and buildings. *Powerful in numbers. *Three MAD Tanks can destroy absolutely any non-infantry unit or structure outright *Can crush infantry. *Massive area effect attack. *Can even damaged flying aircraft by its detonation Cons *Infantry are unaffected by its detonation *Expensive ($2300) for a suicide unit. *Requires a tech center. *Weak armour *Defenseless against aircraft *They die in order to damage the enemy. *Cannot detonate while under the effects of the Iron Curtain *Splash damage can harm friendly units. *The detonation is stopped if the MAD tank is dead. Trivia In Mental Omega 3.3, the MAD tank made a return as the M.A.D.M.A.N., exclusive to the Haihead subfaction of the Foehn Revolt. It works similarly to the original MAD tank but larger and more powerful, even capable of destroying a Construction Yard, although only one may be built at a time. Category:Aftermath vehicles Category:Aftermath Soviet Arsenal